Halloween pics

Halloween started last week at the Trunk or Treat at the Erie Rec Center. Sawyer just got the initial bits of his costume on:
























He didn't really get the trick or treating gig this time around--he kept trying to give the candy back. The second time around he was all fists in the candy bowls...

















For Halloween night we got his hairdo up and running and gave him the appropriate accessories for his 50's greaser-mechanic look.


































Hitting the streets with his lady friend Chelsea.



























My scariest pumpkin yet:

How we spent the snow day

Let the holiday baking begin! With a little free time Sawyer and I worked on a pumpkin roll that Chris had the idea to spruce up with some pears. Sawyer has discovered the glory of batter and dough, and now he comes running every time he hears the mixer going. "Up! Up!" He has to sit on the counter and stick his finger in the bowl at every stage.






























































Sawyer's face after accepting my challenge to lick the lemon.



























Stewing pears to incorporate into the roll.



























After the cream cheese layer we spread the pear filling and sprinkled some cranberries.

Anderson Farms 2009

Another fall trip to Anderson Farms, this time with much better weather.





















First stop, goat feeding. Sawyer and Chelsea loved getting so close to the creatures, especially the baby goats.






















Chris took Sawyer through the mini-maze first (made of hay bales); he had some very pensive moments therein. Here he considers the meaning of his existence, and determines that it the answer is altruism and not nihilism.




















Then he breaks it down: Dom Arigato, Mr. Roboto...




















Every year someone at the farm designs the corn maze structure, and then they cut it out using a GPS-guided tractor. Sawyer was glad to see a train included this year instead of last-year's scary demon-miner.





















Doing some serious corn maze wandering. Chris was our excellent navigator again, but the kids mostly just wanted to destroy the dry stalks.




























The line was very long for the barrel train ride. So we waited, and waited and waited...





















Here's our cheerful barrel train driver.





















All aboard! This was really a tight squeeze.

Weekend in Breckenridge

I Passed my prospectus defense this Friday, and was really ready to relax; luckily the Gray family had scheduled the annual family trip to Breckenridge for the same weekend, so I was able to take it easy while enjoying the crisp mountain air, doing a little outlet mall shopping and playing games, all in the bosom of the famille.

On Saturday morning we went over to the Grand Lodge at Peak 7, where Chris and I bought our time share last year; it's still under construction, but we were able to use the pool and get a glimpse of what's in store for us.

















Later that day Glenn, Chris and I took a hike:

























Here are the boys chillin' by the mountain stream next to the cabin where we stayed:

Sawyer Francis Update

This kid is growing like crazy and changing so much lately. Just in the past few weeks he's turned into such a little chatterbox. He talks a lot of nonsense still, but also has a good vocabulary in English for animals and cars and things around the house, and lots of words in French for his very favorite things: camion, crepe, banane, etc. He also likes to mix things up and comes up with kooky combinations like "encore milk?" "bye-bye, ecole!" and "a table, eat?" My favorite thing that he says is undoubtedly "je t'aime," right before he goes to sleep.

He started his new little preschool a few weeks ago and loves it so much, it's a bit of a battle to get him to come home at the end of the day. His teacher says that he is always happy and smiley, and doesn't seem subject (yet?) to the toddler mood swings that sometimes plague the other kids. He also started eating like a champ since he's been going there--the effect of positive peer pressure, or simply growing out of a neophobic phase, I guess we'll never know.

He also participated in his first, full-scale make believe illusion the other day. He'd already done lots of small-scale pretending, like mimicking washing his hair or feeding a doll, but this was the first time I'd seen him perform all the little gestures of a codified illusory universe: while babysitting our friends in Boulder, we traveled to Brussels, Rome and the island of Curacao, by plane (I served them drinks), train (I was the conductor), boat (boy the sea was rough that day!) and on horseback. I knew he was lost in the experience when he stopped to let his horse (a miniature golf club) eat and drink. I love watching his imaginary world develop.